Premier League clubs are lining up to sign Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott
HARVEY ELLIOTT is blessed with the tremendous footballing skills which would make him an automatic first-team regular at most clubs in the Premier League. Unfortunately, Liverpool don't appear to be one of them.
Making it as an Anfield starter is about as tough as it gets and the 22-year-old is primed to leave for fresh challenges during the current transfer window.
He flourished under Jurgen Klopp's command but has found it difficult to carve out opportunities under new manager Arne Slot, making just two starts in 18 appearances last season, and the blockbuster arrival of Florian Wirtz means he is surplus to requirements with Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones also ahead of him in the pecking order.
Nottingham Forest have already tried to sign Elliott but he rejected the chance to move to the City Ground leaving Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Brighton and Borussia Dortmund reportedly in the race to sign the former Fulham player.
The Magpies can offer the prospect of Champions League football but have a tremendous midfield of their own and may not be able to guarantee him a starting role and it is a similar story at Aston Villa, who need to strengthen other areas in any case.
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A move to the Bundesliga could suit Elliott and Dortmund look big at 25/1 with bet365 to complete a successful deal for his services but it is believed Elliott wants to stay in the Premier League and the Seagulls are confident they can persuade him to join them on the south coast.
There's is little doubt he would be a permanent fixture in their side making Brighton a reasonably safe bet to make Elliott their fifth summer capture at 2/1 with William Hill and Bet Victor.
Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz is in the fast lane to repeat last year's French Open/Wimbledon grand slam double and it's difficult to find anyone to stand in his way.
The Spaniard retained his crown at Roland Garros last month when he sensationally fought back from the brink of defeat to overwhelm Jannik Sinner in a final for the ages.
Since then, Alcaraz has swept through the competition at Queen's to lift the trophy yet again thanks to a devastating serve which is becoming increasingly potent.
With Sinner losing 6-3, 3-6, 4-6 to the dangerous Alexander Bublik in the round of 16 in Berlin last week and showing signs he is not at his glorious best, it stands to reason that Alcaraz is the player to beat and the one to back even at no better than 6/4 with William Hill, Sporting Index, StarSports, Bet Victor and many others.
You would need to be a real tennis buff to know that the last two winners of the women's singles at Wimbledon both hail from the Czech Republic.
Barbora Krejcikova is the reigning champion after beating Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 in last year's Centre Court showpiece while Marketa Vondrousova lifted the trophy 12 months earlier when she defeated Ons Jabeur 6-4, 6-4.
Two years before that, Karolina Pliskova, who is also Czech, reached the decider but was beaten in three sets by Australian Ash Barty so all eyes will be in their compatriots this time around.
Karolina Muchova is the highest ranked Czech player at Wimbledon at 15 in the world and she reached the quarter-finals at Queen's a fortnight ago before losing to eventual winner Tatjana Maria of Germany in a close match which could have gone either way.
It's doubtful she has the scope to reach the final, though, but Vondrousova is fresh from beating Xinyu Wang to win the Berlin Open where she notably took the scalps of Wimbledon favourite Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals and Jabeur in the last eight. More Trending
Perhaps she has peaked too soon and will crash and burn in the first couple of rounds in SW19, but it is worth a flutter that she is back to her best and punters could get a thrilling run for their money at 20/1 with SpreadEx and Sporting Index – especially as she is half that price with Ladbrokes and Coral.
Brian Harman cashed the each-way part of our 50/1 bet on him at the Travelers last week when he finished solo fifth, affording us the chance to financially follow Ben Griffin in this week's Rocket Classic in Detroit.
He was tied 14th at the weekend following a T10 at the US Open, a solo second at the Memorial, victory at the Charles Schwab Challenge and a T8 at the US PGA. Some run of form, huh?
Most of the world's best golfers are resting this week so it's easy to go with Griff at 16/1 with Ladbrokes and Coral, who are paying out ten places each-way.
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